11 Rainy Day Activities in Petaluma

[Ann Hutchinson]

Looking for rainy day activities in Petaluma? Petaluma has so many fun, rainy-day things to do you just might be hoping for rain. How about a fun day of indoor family sports, dinner and a movie, a spa day, exploring an old mill, or a leisurely stroll through a library? Read on for 11 things to do in Petaluma on a rainy day.

Friendly Family Competition​

Families will find several places to have fun competing with each other in indoor sports. The following options are all on Petaluma Boulevard.

1) Bowling never gets old. There’s just something so satisfying to the sound of a solid strike or watching the pin slide over to pick up a spare. At AMF Petaluma Lanes, in addition to its 40 lanes, you’ll find an arcade, billiards, and a sports bar for a fun family afternoon or evening. The bowling alley is open till 11pm and later on weekends. Check the website for current hours as some days have later open times.

2) For unmatched billiard fun, plan a trip to Buffalo Billiards. A Petaluma institution since 1992, with pool-hall roots going back to 1953 in Wells, Nevada, this billiard hall is the real deal with billiards, darts, shuffleboard, ping pong, pinball, and pub grub, craft beers, and local wines.

3) If you’d rather send balls (or arrows) soaring through the air, while still staying out of the rain, make an appointment to bat balls at Athletic Edge‘s batting cages or enjoy target practice at West Coast Archery Shop‘s 20-yard indoor range.

MORE Family Fun (PDf)

Spa Day – Your Way!​

Vacations are a great time to sneak off for a little “me” time. Slow down, toss the appointment calendar, and refresh in Petaluma.

4) Book a massage or facial at J’L Relax Center, Petaluma Wellness Center, Soft Shell, or Massage Envy.

5) Move into wellness with Nourish 108, Renew Yoga, The Yoga Post, Yoga Hell Petaluma, Lifestyles Pilates Petaluma, and more.

6) Looking for that floaty feeling you get from a good acupuncture treatment? Petaluma has many clinics, some of which also offer Chinese herbs or massage.

Spa & Zen

Shop, Sip, and Dine at The Great Mill​

The Velvet Chapter Bookshop in the The Great Petaluma Mill

In the mid-nineteenth century, The Great Petaluma Mill housed a food locker for perishables sent downriver to San Francisco, a livery, and more. Now it comprises shops, restaurants, and salons. Within, you’ll find plenty of rainy day activities without the harried bustle of a city mall. You’ll also find much better dining options and even wine tasting.

7) Shop The Velvet Chapter Bookshop for romance and fantasy books. At Refill Mercantile, you’ll find sustainable ways to keep your home, laundry, dishes–and even you–clean, without adding plastics to the landfill.

8) Enjoy farm-to-table dining in the Great Mill at Wild Goat Bistro or around the corner at Riverfront Café.

9) Adobe Road Winery is open seven days per week for wine tasting or wines by the glass. If it’s Thursday afternoon, there may even be live music.

Half a block north, on the other side of the boulevard, is the Lanmart building where you will find more shops, Old Chicago Pizza (deep dish!), and Marisa’s Fantasia gift shop and Christmas Fantasia, a year-round holiday shop.

More Shopping

Dinner and a Movie​

Sol Food in Theater Square

Visit the Theater District to catch a comedy or a family movie with your tribe, or a rom-com with your sweetie. Fortify in advance with lunch or an early dinner, or have dinner after to talk over the movie.

10) Boulevard Cinema offers the latest movies with Screenx immersive sound, comfy recliner seating, and the concession bar has the usual favorites plus beer and wine. Hank’s is the place to discuss your favorite scenes over wood-fired pizza. Looking for something different? Try Levant for Mediterranean cuisine, Sol Food for Puerto Rican, or Urban Deli for Middle Eastern.

More restaurants

Stroll the Museum​

The Petaluma Historical Library and Museum – photo by Scott Hess

Rainy days are perfect for a museum stroll. Soak up the local history instead of the rain.

11) Learn about Petaluma’s history and enjoy rotating exhibits at Petaluma Historical Library and Museum, a 1904 Carnegie library designed by Brainerd Jones. While you’re there, book a walking history tour for a sunny day.

More History

Plan Your Rainy Days in Petaluma ​

Precipitation won’t stop the fun in Petaluma! With so many choices, spending a rainy day in Petaluma is a cinch. Whether you choose a stroll (museum), a leisurely meal, wine tasting, dinner and a movie, indoor sports, a spa day, or shopping, Petaluma has it all.

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